Rest and Play are Worth Spending Your Time

 

I am in my retirement phase of life with my kids grown and my classroom teaching days are behind me. It is an easy choice to choose rest and play in this season of life. What is more difficult and I believe more important is to carve out time for both in the busyness that is our thirties and forties. When our homes are filled with the laughter and joy of kids and their activities. That is a time when one must be intentional about scheduling in the time to rest as well as the time to play. 

It is so easy to get caught up in all the things on our calendar that we ignore the need to stop and recharge. God’s intention is not for us to run on empty or just fumes. A pastor said this morning that McDonald’s is open 24/7 while Chik-fila is open limited hours during the week and closed on Sunday. You would think that McDonalds would be receiving higher profits. The reality is that Chik-fila consistently has higher profits. That is just one example to us that running faster and plowing through is not always the best strategy to achieve more. 

Some people put their kids in every activity that they can. They are providing a broad base in their kids for the future. While all these programs are beneficial, it is also easy to over schedule and miss out on our kids just laying on the living room floor with a single toy or book. As adults we can also get busy with our FOMO Fear of missing out spirit and let it become like running a marathon. Isolating is not the answer to joy either but there needs to be a time for rest balanced with a time to play. 

It feels like I am lecturing but the truth is I am speaking to myself. You see even in this senior phase of my life I can put too much on my plate with travel, family, and my to do list. When I don’t make time for rest my body screams at me to slow down. Whether it is a ruptured disc in my back, or pheumonis in my lungs, my body makes it necessary for me to park it and breathe. My heart is to do for ohters and that is often where I find myself overdoing it. Reality is that when i do too much there is nothing left in my tank to help others or even take care of my own business. What is your reason for pushing yourself too hard? What drives you to not get enough rest or have time for the fun in life? Let’s take a breath this week and perhaps say no to a couple things even if they are worthy of our time and attention. Then replace it with a nap or read your Bible. Don’t replace it with cleaning the closet or doing that task you have been putting off. Put it off a bit longer and just sit and breath. It will refill your tank, I promise. 

In Him,

Joyful

8-22-25